Today we drove into Soweto, to visit Barragwanath, the largest hospital in Southern Africa. The property was formally used as army barracks so the hospital is spread out as a series of small buildings and huts surrounding the main hospital center. We were invited by Marilyn Bassin, a physical therapist who works with squatter camp children severely affected by cerebral palsy. Many of these children have HIV and live in tin shanties located in the back yards of Soweto houses. Malnourishment is a constant issue and many of these children appear emaciated due to their inability to chew and swallow. Marilyn is a full time volunteer and also takes care of a sangoma village nearby. We sat in on a few of the morning sessions and talked to many of the mothers about the stigmas they deal with raising a disabled child in traditional African communities.
We also had an opportunity to tour the rest of the facility; our first stop was at the Harriet Shezie Clinic for Pediatric HIV. Bara is a microcosm of South Africa in that its infrastructure provides modern medical care for just about every infectious disease plaguing southern Africa today, yet the magnitude of people requiring medical care leaves the facility unable to operate as a hospital that meets global standards. Patients are accomodated in beds, on chairs, and on the floor depending on the severity of the patient's condition. Patients are also required to bring their own linen as the hospital cannot provide bed sheets for such a large number of people. Children in the CP clinic receive one therapy session per month and are not able to acquire a wheelchair or stander. As a result many of these children are severely contorted.
Every cloud, however, has a silver lining and in this time of dire need you find people like Marilyn and her staff raising funds to purchase shona buggies (wheel chairs) and provide free care to the children who need it most.
The Malamulele Project is the second branch of Marilyns work; this project entails holding weeklong intensive therapy sessions for CP kids living in very rural parts of South Africa.
The Landscape: Grandmothers with young babies strapped tight onto their backs carrying CP equipment across rivers to their huts.
(Please see the website: http://www.cpchildren.org/)
We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Soweto area. Once a dangerous township, Soweto has blossomed into a cultural mecca colored by a growing chain of urban renewal and development while still shaded with the character of an old South Africa. Such a concept is well exemplified by the Soweto Stadium above, which is being built for the 2010 World Cup.
We also had an opportunity to tour the rest of the facility; our first stop was at the Harriet Shezie Clinic for Pediatric HIV. Bara is a microcosm of South Africa in that its infrastructure provides modern medical care for just about every infectious disease plaguing southern Africa today, yet the magnitude of people requiring medical care leaves the facility unable to operate as a hospital that meets global standards. Patients are accomodated in beds, on chairs, and on the floor depending on the severity of the patient's condition. Patients are also required to bring their own linen as the hospital cannot provide bed sheets for such a large number of people. Children in the CP clinic receive one therapy session per month and are not able to acquire a wheelchair or stander. As a result many of these children are severely contorted.
Every cloud, however, has a silver lining and in this time of dire need you find people like Marilyn and her staff raising funds to purchase shona buggies (wheel chairs) and provide free care to the children who need it most.
The Malamulele Project is the second branch of Marilyns work; this project entails holding weeklong intensive therapy sessions for CP kids living in very rural parts of South Africa.
The Landscape: Grandmothers with young babies strapped tight onto their backs carrying CP equipment across rivers to their huts.
(Please see the website: http://www.cpchildren.org/)
We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Soweto area. Once a dangerous township, Soweto has blossomed into a cultural mecca colored by a growing chain of urban renewal and development while still shaded with the character of an old South Africa. Such a concept is well exemplified by the Soweto Stadium above, which is being built for the 2010 World Cup.
No comments:
Post a Comment